This And That *Open Thread*

Ebola, ISIS, upcoming elections, all of these and more, are in the news pretty much non-stop this week. It is certainly understandable given the concerns they all raise.

Let’s take Ebola, for instance. We now have people with Ebola spread across the country, from the DC area to Nebraska. Awesome. But what does Obama have to say about all of this? Oh, you’re gonna love it. From Pat Dollard (h/t Facebook friend):

“But let’s keep in mind that as we speak, there are children on the streets dying of this disease, thousands of them. And so obviously my first job is to make sure that we’re taking care of the American people, but we have a larger role than that. We also have an obligation to make sure that those (African) children and their families are safe as well because ultimately the best thing we can do for our public health is also to extend the kind of empathy, compassion and effort so that folks in those countries as well can be rid of this disease.” – Barack Obama (To read the rest and see the video, click HERE.)

And Obama is president of WHICH country, exactly??? Yeah, never mind the security and safety of American citizens. We need to make sure that these African nations are not isolated, or have their economies threatened. You know, because that is the focus. So, no travel ban from these Ebola stricken countries. Nope.

KELLY: Lieutenant Colonel Ralph Peters is our FOX News strategic analyst and Ralph, we saw it happen in Fallujah. We saw it happen in Mosul. We saw it happen in Ramadi. And now we see the Islamic flag over the town of Kobani. Which they say is a strategic and important location for these fighters. Tell us why.

LT. COL. RALPH PETERS, FOX NEWS STRATEGIC ANALYST: Well, it’s important symbolically and practically. It extends the caliphate. And the Islamic State caliphate, Megyn, is real and it’s now no matter what the President says. And extends right up the border of Turkey, secure of vast threats at Northeastern Syria. It’s symbolic, it’s important because the Kurds, it’s an important Kurdish State and the Kurds have been fighting hard to hold onto it. And it really is a battle for a Syrian Kurdistan. So, symbolically practically is very important. Senator McCain is right. There will be a massacre. They’re still fighting the streets. The Kurds haven’t given up. They’re fighting house-to-house and block-to-block. But our president who launched this phony air campaign, this air campaign basically to a absolve him of any blame to get him through, his party through the November elections.

This air campaign has been paltry from the start. He warned them we were coming. He hit empty buildings in the dead of night. Empty camps. We’re sending in jet fighters with small — low yield precision immunizations, basically guided hand grenades to blow up individual pickup trucks to kill three terrorists here. Four there. Outside Kobani where the terrorists from the Islamic State were out in the open in mass with their vehicles, their persons, it was the perfect target for serious air power. B-52s doing area saturation bombing. But this president will not do it. He doesn’t want casualties, not only civilian casualties, he doesn’t even want a lot of dead terrorists. This is all a fraud and those people in Kobani among so many others are going to pay a tragic price for our President’s outright cowardice. […] (Click here to read the rest.)

“Cowardice.” That is a strong word, but it seems to be the case, does it not? ISIS is on the move, and we are not doing a whole helluva lot about it, apparently.

But, hey – Obama has been busy on the golf course (again), as well as PSAs, so how we can we expect him to actually focus on issues like Ebola and ISIS?? Now, the PSA was important and all – it was about stopping sexual assault. But what might surprise you is the response his appearance made at a Michigan State football game. Check out the Tweets in this Gateway Pundit piece, “Woah. Obama BOOED LOUDLY at Michigan State Football Game – Led By Student Section.” A friend who attended Michigan State mentioned this at Facebook, and was mighty proud of his alma mater. So, yeah – maybe there is hope yet?

And finally, I have to share a photo I saw on Facebook just because it absolutely cracked me up. I figure we can all use a good laugh today, am I right? From doodlekisses.com:

How funny is that?? Oh, my – too cute.

Okay – feel free to talk about any or all of the above, or whatever else is coming down the pike today.

Thank you Marge and everyone for the prayers and healing thoughts being sent my way.
I firmly believe that is why I am doing so well. ❤
I have 2 therapist's a physical therapist and an occupational therapist this one helps with house work and stuff around the house. 🙂

Terrific, IMO, article by John Hawkins about “elites” and “intellectuals”. I was of much the same opinion but hadn’t the talent to say it the way he does. I do so love it when I find someone smart enough to agree with me. 😉

Another “celebrity” who thinks he knows a whole lot more than he knows. His rhetoric proved him to be a fool. My guess is that making a fool of himself will not concern him and he will continue to spout nonsense. And his loyal fans will continue to cheer.

Sure didn’t take him long to whip out the “RACIST!” claim, did it? And what does racism have to do with a religious ideology ANYWAY?? Affleck is one of those people abt whom Hawkins was writing in the piece Marge linked to at Townhall. For some reason, Affleck thinks he is an expert on this, but he cannot see the forest for the trees. All he hears when someone starts talking abt “Radical Islamists” is what narrow minded bigots they must be for talking abt practictioners of the “peaceful and loving” religion that way. How DARE they actually name them for who and what they are?!

This is interesting insofar as many think Panetta is trying to provide some political cover for his friend, Hillary, to run in 2016. But here’s the thing: Hillary has admitted the same, basically, insofar as she knew the video had nothing to do with what was going on. Yet she chose not to say anything at Bill’s insistence lest it impact her own political career. So now we know how much the deaths of 4 Americans and numerous other seriously injured Americans is worth when it comes to allegiance to the Democratic Party.

The one thing that I was happily anticipating, upon Barry’s retirement, was the plethora of ” tell all” books that would be published…..So I’m delighted that Panetta started early.
One has to wonder why, though….but at least he did it!

True, Cuz – I know people like Beckel are saying Panetta and Gates are only doing this to sell books – maybe so. And I sure as hell wish they had had enough integrity to stand up at a time when it would have mattered in terms of Barack, but hopefully these kinds of books will help not just in 2014, but 2016, too…

US Defense Department officials say Gen. David Rodriguez misspoke when he said US military lab technicians would be in contact with Ebola patients; military technicians will instead be testing specimen samples from suspected Ebola victims – @NBCNews

I’m reading on CNN’s World site about the probable fall of the Kurdish town of Kobani. Erdogan and the Turks, I believe, are all too happy to watch the Kurds be defeated because they hate the Kurds. The Kurds want to carve out a state and some of the territory they want is in Turkey. So no surprise that Turkish tanks are on the border but not moving in to Kobani to push ISIS back. And who knows how good the Turkish forces would be anyway.

BUT what really got my blood pressure up was the following statement by that airhead at the State Dept., Jen Psaki. “It’s obviously horrific to watch what’s going on the ground, but it’s important for the United States, for us to also step back …” Take a step BACK because that’s where Obama likes to lead from – behind.
Anyone in difficult circumstances like the Kurds should not be relying on us for help. Shameful.

As soon as I saw the name, “Jen Psaki,” I knew it was going to be idiotic, and sure enough, it was.

But as you noted, it is worse than that – it IS shameful that we are leaving the Kurds hanging out to dry. From the reports I have heard, they have been fighting valiantly. That we would not back them, that we continue to “lead from behind,” the most ludicrous strategy ever, is appalling.

Oh my good heavens – I am just SMHD. Seriously?? The MSM that has been so in his pocket they are covered in lint isn’t reporting on his “successes”?? Maybe he should take the clue that it’s because he hasn’t had many…

Good morning Foxy. How ya doing? Got that v-8 motor switched from your wheelchair to your walker yet? I’m betting you won’t need either one very soon. Guts and gumption work miracles. As do prayers and good wishes.